After four Game Days of the Champions Hockey League Regular Season, a single point separates Red Bull Munich and Lukko Rauma, who have both taken three wins and a single loss.   

A 4-3 shootout defeat on Game Day 1 to Vítkovice Ridera was the single stutter-step for the German side who bounced back to collect three consecutive wins, including a huge 9-2 drubbing of Austrian team HC Innsbruck on Game Day 4. Their 10 points make Munich the third-ranked CHL team behind the Växjö Lakers and Ilves Tampere, both of whom have already qualified for the CHL Playoffs. 

Forwards Austin Ortega and Maximilian Kastner potted six goals each over four games, however, 34-year-old American defenceman Jonathon Blum has been the outstanding performer, concocting some of the best offence from the blue line with 9 points (1G, 8A). His +8 plus/minus rating makes him the League’s top-ranked player. 

Goaltender Mathias Niederberger has shouldered the bulk of netminding duties, allowing five goals over three games. His save average of 92.96% ranks him twelfth among goaltenders, while statistically, Munich have one of the best powerplays in the league, converting on nearly 27% of their man-advantage opportunities. 

In contrast, Finnish contenders Lukko Rauma were running hot, opening their season with three consecutive wins, but Game Day 4 would see Adler Mannheim inflict a brutal 6-0 beat down at home. That loss aside, their 9-point tally make Lukko the eighth-ranked team in the overall standings.     

Like Munich, Lukko’s top contributor is also a defenceman. Tarmo Reunanen has 6 points (3G, 3A) in addition to clocking an average of over 20 minutes TOI. Teammates Sebastian Repo and Julius Mattila have been equally reliable notching four points apiece, while goaltending duties have been shared. Daniel Lebedeff has performed slightly better, allowing just three goals over two games, for a save average of 93.62%.  

The last time these two teams met was during the 2021/22 season Quarter-Finals where both games went down to the wire. Game one was a 2-2 draw, and the return match saw Munich edge out their Finnish rivals 2-1 in OT.  

That memory is fresh in the mind of Lukko’s Head Coach Tomi Lämsä who is eager for a better result in the coming game: “Facing the reigning DEL champions will give us a great opportunity to put our skills to the test. And let’s not forget it was Munich that eliminated us in the CHL Quarter-Finals in 2021 so we’re eager for payback.”